The present invention relates generally to product merchandising display units and, more particularly, to a product display unit for storing and displaying products on the interior surface of a transparent cooler or freezer door, the present unit being designed to accommodate an advertising sign or placard positioned so as to be visible through the cooler or freezer door.
It is common practice to store and display shelved products, such as chilled soft-drink products, in a refrigerated display cooler in such a manner so as to attract the attention of the consumer. Product storage and display coolers typically have an openable transparent door through which a wide variety of different types of shelved products may be viewed. These products are typically stored on a plurality of vertically spaced conventional shelves located within the interior of the cooler. As a result, there exists within the cooler an unused space between the inside surface of the cooler door and the leading edge portion of the shelving located therein. It is known in the art to capitalize on this unused space by affixing a detachable product display unit to the interior surface of the cooler door. These known detachable product display units are typically bulky; they obscure many of the products stored on the conventional shelving associated with the particular display cooler; they do not adequately advertise the products displayed therein; and they suffer from still other disadvantages as hereinafter further explained.
For purposes of sales and marketing, it is imperative that a customer be able to adequately see all products stored and displayed within a display cooler. For this reason, cooler doors are typically made of a transparent material such as glass. Detachable product display units that attach to the inside surface of a cooler door have proven to be beneficial in terms of utilizing the available space between the cooler door and the associated conventional cooler shelving, however, they also tend to obscure the products contained within the remainder of the cooler. This obscuration will have a negative impact on sales as a consumer is less likely to purchase what cannot readily be seen. Further, the construction of the known detachable product display units which are attachable to the inside surface of a cooler door are such that it is often difficult to see the products that are stored and contained within the detachable display unit. Recent years have witnessed a growing awareness of the value of point-of-purchase fixtures and other display devices which capitalize on identification and promotion of products at the point of sale. Using a device that obscures the product being sold can be disastrous to a merchant and is counterproductive given the merchant""s goal of displaying a product and promoting the sale thereof. Even if the product contained within the detachable product display unit is visible, the customer typically views the back of the detachable product display unit through the cooler doors and therefore the back of the products stored therein, a feature which is less than desirable from both a marketing and an aesthetic standpoint. There is, therefore, a need for a device which allows one to make use of the unused space between the inside surface of the cooler door and the conventional shelving associated therewith while allowing visibility of the products displayed on the conventional shelving and while providing a means for displaying product advertising or other material in such a manner so as to attractively identify and promote the sale of products contained therewithin.
It is also important that a product stored within a detachable product display unit be quickly and easily removed therefrom. If a customer cannot quickly and easily remove the product, the cooler door will then be held open for a longer period of time thereby increasing the overall operating costs to the merchant. Though the increased opening time may only be seconds for each individual customer, the cumulative effect of such door openings hour after hour during a typical work week can drastically increase the operating costs of the cooler. Such activity may also decrease the life expectancy of the cooler""s refrigeration system. Thus, there is a need for a detachable product display unit that allows customers to remove product quickly and easily with minimal loss of cool air from the interior of the cooler.
The present product merchandising assembly overcomes the disadvantages and shortcomings of known product merchandising devices and teaches the construction and operation of a product merchandising unit removably attachable to the inside surface of a cooler door which both allows improved visibility of products positioned on conventional shelving within the cooler and, importantly, provides a means for attractively identifying and promoting the products displayed therein by taking advantage of the transparent nature of cooler doors.
The present assembly can be used for chilled, unchilled, or frozen products, and is adaptable for attachment to the inside surface of a door or other vertical surface associated with any cooler, freezer, or cabinet used to store or display products. The present device is particularly well-suited for merchandising and displaying energy-type drinks, such as those typically distributed in 250 ml aluminum cans, but can be sized and shaped to display a wide variety of other products such as soft drinks, fruit juices, dairy products and the like in supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery outlets, fast food outlets, and a wide variety of other wholesale and retail stores. It is also anticipated that the present assembly can also be utilized in a wide variety of other product merchandising and storing applications.
Each of the several embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein comprises a product storage member which can be detachably connected to a flat surface such as the interior surface of a cooler door. The product storage member is sized and shaped to receive and retain products therein and is adapted to receive a graphic panel which, in one embodiment, faces the transparent interior portion of the cooler door and thus is visible to customers through the door. The product storage member includes a plurality of spaced upright members fixedly attached to a plurality of front and rear transverse members and a plurality of spaced longitudinal members arranged in groups to form a plurality of tracks for holding products thereon. The tracks are preferably vertically arranged one above the other and the graphic panel is sized and shaped to be held against one side of the product storage member and against the inside surface of the cooler door. The products are also positioned and stackably arranged within the present product storage member in a manner to facilitate quick and easy removal therefrom when the cooler door is opened. The combination of the product storage member and the graphic panel forms the present product merchandising assembly.
The present graphic panel is an important tool in a merchant""s advertising and promotional activities with respect to a particular product because the graphic panel will depict images and text designed to specifically identify and sell the products contained within the product storage member. This provides an excellent means by which product manufacturers and retailers may attract the attention of potential customers at or near the point of sale. It is also contemplated that the graphic panel can be used to impart any information that the merchant wishes to impart to his customers, such as information concerning promotional contests and the like. Any plurality of graphic panels can be utilized with the same product storage member, each graphic panel promoting a different product or imparting different information to the consumer depending upon the particular marketing situation. At the same time that the graphic panel imparts useful advertising or other information to the consumer, the graphic panel also serves an aesthetic purpose. The side of the present product storage member which would be otherwise visible to consumers through the transparent cooler doors is now shielded and no longer visible to the customer. Instead, the unappealing view of the side portion of the present unit is replaced with the images and/or text associated with the graphic panel. In the event that a merchant has no information that he wishes to impart to a customer, the graphic panel could depict an image that is aesthetically pleasing. Thus, the present product merchandising assembly enhances the marketability of the products positioned therein and it improves the general image of the display area.
The present assembly also minimizes the amount of time the customer needs to open a cooler door in order to retrieve a product thereby lessening the amount of cool air that escapes from the interior of the cooler. This is accomplished in two ways. First, the present graphic panel serves to identify the products contained within the product storage member prior to opening of the cooler door. This means that a customer will not have to open the cooler door in order to identify the product and is not likely to hold the door open while contemplating a purchase. Second, the orientation of the preferred embodiment, installed vertically inside the cooler door, is such that the customer does not have to fully open the cooler door in order to reach inside and remove the product. Product removal is quick and provides minimal opportunity for keeping the cooler door open for extended periods of time thereby minimizing the amount of cool air that can escape from the interior of the cooler. This reduces operating costs.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.